For someone who steps on the spiritual path for the very first time it is common to think they can only keep company of someone alike and in all other cases degradation is what is inevitable. But Vedas don’t always agree with this idea that is not always practical for our real life. Yes, Vedas indeed divide people into two categories: thinkers and doers. Thinking people are renounced yogis who exhibit activity at the inner level and therefore, remain content with a simple, austere life. As a rule, they accept the renounced order of life and are happy to associate with the same thinking people as they are.

Men of deeds, however, come in contact with material energy more. Fate pushes them to work hard and solve material tasks, and, as a general rule, they are less renounced. They create hearth and home and have to associate with the same doers just as they are, not too spiritually versed, as well. But it would be a mistake to force doers to act like thinkers, since in either case spiritual perfection comes easy if any person follows rules and regulations of their own position in this material world.

Hence, today we’ll study the rules for men of deeds, working people who lead a family life. First and foremost, they need not run to extremes and leave for another company, that of thinking people. There are no great sages around, but this is the way it should be. You are not living in a monastery after all. Scriptures warn men of action that rubies are not embedded in any rocks, or sandalwood trees can’t grow in any forest. Rare elephant pearls are not to be found in the tusks of any elephant. By virtue of the same reasoning sages need not to be present everyplace.

But if you so desire, try to be the sage yourself: play the role of an elephant pearl, sandalwood or ruby in the rock… Only remember: a ruby is picked with a pickaxe, a sandalwood tree is the first to be cut, and an elephant with a pearl is the first to be killed. Therefore, it’s better to be courteous and not fight for the purity of thought in a place that is not meant for that; where rationality, and thus, practicality, and not philosophy, is what is needed.

Judging from this, it’s easy to understand what kind of group of people you are in. If the staff consists of men of action, they will easily be irritated by philosophical sophistication – it will get on their nerves. Workpeople call such a person “a pointy-head”. Similarly, the one focused on practicality only, will arouse the same resentment in a group of thinking people. They will consider that sort of person a dim- witted workaholic, a materialist who gives off a bad odor…

In brief, searching for a sage in the circles you belong to makes no sense: it’s quite sufficient to know where such a wise person lives and visit them from time to time. And there’s no need to break with the environment that is natural for you, where you have good practical relationship in the spirit of cooperation and financial understanding.

So, men of wisdom can be found elsewhere. But what features should be intrinsic to the staff of which by the twist of fate we are members? In which case is it worth it to change something, without bargaining one trouble for another?

And Vedas give some precautions whereby we can understand that our fate enables us to start searching for new opportunities. Why, go-ahead times sometimes come into our life and we should endeavor not to miss them since nothing is more bitter than the karma of missed opportunities.